Page 140 of Escape to the Country

But she hid her nerves in front of Annie who was still stressing out on the morning of the fete.

‘Brown grass wasn’t quite the look I was going for,’ said Annie, with a grimace as she stared out of her bedroom window.

‘Personally, I think it’s better that the ground is hard and dry,’ said Eleanor, who was standing next to her. ‘No mud.’

Annie nodded. ‘Maybe you’re right.’

‘Of course she is,’ said Megan. ‘Don’t fret.’

Annie turned away to glance at her scrawled notes. ‘So do you think we’re pretty much ready for everything?’

She gestured at the marquees and gazebos that had been erected to keep out any rain. Luckily the forecasters had pushed back the bad weather for another twenty-four hours or so and were predicting a warm and sunny day.

‘If I forget to say later, thank you for all your help with today,’ said Annie, drawing her friends into a group hug. ‘I couldn’t have done it without you both.’

‘You jump, we jump,’ said Megan.

‘Exactly. Let’s get this show on the road,’ said Eleanor.

‘Not so fast,’ said Rose, appearing at the doorway. ‘I have a little something to show you.’

As Rose led them into her bedroom, Annie glanced at her watch. ‘I really need to get going soon.’

Rose smiled at her. ‘This won’t take long. But it’s very important. It’s about your future.’ She walked over to the window seat and lifted the lid under the long cushion.

‘I didn’t know that was there,’ said Annie, walking across the room.

‘Another one of Alex’s secret cubbyholes,’ said Rose. ‘It’s just big enough if I need to hide a secret lover or two in there.’

They all giggled.

‘But, for now, it’s been keeping something else safe for me.’ Rose drew out a long, deep box whose pattern had faded over many years. ‘This is for you.’

As Annie took the box from her hands, she looked at Rose. ‘What is it?’

‘Something borrowed,’ said Rose, with an enigmatic smile.

Annie placed the box on the bed and lifted the lid. Beneath sheets of tissue paper, she finally drew out a long white delicate dress. It was dotted with pearls and subtle sequins that shone in the morning sun streaming through the window.

‘It’s beautiful,’ said Annie, looking at the dress in wonder. ‘It’s light but so beautiful.’

‘It was my mother’s wedding dress,’ said Rose, as Annie tried it on. ‘From the 1920s, would you believe? Beatrice borrowed it when she married Arthur. And I wondered if perhaps it was just different enough for you to wear at yours.’

Annie stood in the middle of the room, staring in wonder at her reflection. The dress fitted her perfectly and glittered in the sunshine. As a tear rolled down her cheek, she stepped forward to give Rose a hug. ‘I love it. Thank you. It’s precious.’

‘Just like you, darling.’

Annie looked across at her friends. ‘What do you think?’ she asked, beaming.

‘It’s beautiful. And I think that no dress you’ve ever tried on has made you look so happy,’ Eleanor told her.

‘You look absolutely stunning,’ said Megan.

‘And as a future countess, you’ll certainly look the part on your wedding day,’ added Rose. ‘She held Annie at arm’s length to look at her. ‘And just remember, my dear. Whatever happens today, you have the love of a great man whom you adore and cherish in return. Everything else is just bunting.’

Then they were all hugging and crying before Rose declared they all needed a fortifying sip of champagne to overcome any last-minute nerves.

As they drank, Eleanor took pleasure in her best friend’s wedding plans coming together. But she then felt a pang, wondering when her own love life would be as blissfully happy.